Shoe bottom roughing tools



May 17, 1960 R. E. PEARSALL ETAL 2,936,472

- SHOE BOTTOM ROUGHING TOOLS Filed 001,. 14, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventors Falph E. Pearo'a Zl William ZEWczde v .53 Zhez'rfiiiorney May 17, 1960 R. E. PEARSALL ET AL 2,936,472

SHOE BOTTOM ROUGHING TOOLS Filed Oct. 14, 1957 r 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ?feather line of the shoe.

SHOE BOTTOM ROUGHING TOOLS Ralph E. Pearsall, Gloucester, and William R. Wade, Beverly, Mass, assignors to United Shoe Machinery glorporation, Flemington, N.J., a corporation of New ersey Application October 14, 1957, Serial No. 690,059

4 Claims. (Cl. 15-200 This invention relates to shoe bottom roughing tools and is described with reference to a tool for use in the roughing of the overlasted margins of slip lasted shoes to prepare said margins for the application of cement used in the attachment of outsoles to said margins.

The overlasted margins of shoe uppers are commonly roughened by the use of circular wire brushes having radially disposed bristles which have to be frequently sharpened and the speed and flexibility of which are reduced slightly as a result of each sharpening.

it is desirable to vary the stiffness of the bristles of wire brushes of roughing tools used in the manufacture of shoes in accordance with the materials to be roughened and the temper of said materials. For example, when roughing an overlasted margin of a shoe upper consist: ing of soft leather which is in temper it is desirable that the work-engaging portions of the bristles of the rough? ing tool shall be relatively flexible and in operating upon an over-lasted margin of a shoe upper composed of hard dry leather it is desirable that the operating portions of said bristles shall be relatively stiff. Moreover, it is desirable to vary the stiffness of the bristles of wire roughing tools in accordance with the contour of the surface of the material to be roughened, it being found, for example, that concave and convex surfaces of a given material and temper may be roughened by wire brushes of slightly less stifiness than that required to toughen flat surfaces of corresponding material and temper.

In the roughing of the overlasted uppers of shoes it is highly desirable that the outer limit of roughing shall extend to but not beyond the locus of points where the upper of the shoe curves heightwise away from the shoe bottom, said locus commonly being referred to as the cuts exactly at the feather line requires considerable experience on the part of the operator and it is desirable that the bristles used in roughing to said feather line shall not only be of the proper flexibility but shall be properly controlled. Otherwise there is a tendency to roughen the shoe upper outside of the feather line with the result that the roughened surface of the material is visible in the finished shoe.

Wire bristles or brushes of roughing tools should be frequently sharpened. However, there is a tendency for the operator with a view to increasing production to delay sharpening the bristles of the brush of the tool until such time that the tool imparts an inferior roughing job to the work and in some cases rips or otherwise damages said work. This damage is due to some extent because of the tendency of overworked roughing portions of the bristles of the brush to twist around one another and thus to increase the effective stiffness of the brush to a degree that the brush is unsuitable for the roughing of the overlasted margin of the particular shoe upper.

It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved rotatable roughing tool for quickly and effectively roughing the overlasted margins of shoe uppers forthe reception of cement. It is another object of the To terminate the roughing 1 United States Patent 2,936,472 Patented May 17, 1960 ice vided with bristles collectively having the general form of a sleeve which is centered approximately about said axis and has inner and outer peripheries and an exposed roughing or work-engaging end, said tool in accordance with one feature of the invention having inner and outer supports which are engaged by the inner and outer peripheries of the sleeve or bristles adjacent to but spaced from the exposed work-engaging or roughing end of the sleeve, and means for relatively moving the supports lengthwise of the axis with relation to the sleeve into different operating positions whereby to vary the stiffness of the work-engaging ends of said bristles.

In order to impart to the operating ends of the bristles the desired amount of stiffness and to reduce to some extent the tendency of said end portions of the bristles to twist about one another, elongated portions of the bristles located axially rearward of said supports are free to spring orfiex radially of the tool as the work-engaging ends of the bristles of the tool are flexed or displaced under pressure of work presented thereto.

it has been found that improved control of roughing is effected by having the exposed roughing ends of the bristles of the sleeve included substantially in a conical surface centered about the axis of rotation of the tool and by having the support which engages the inner peripery of the sleeve spaced slightly from the roughing portions of the inner and outer supports and accordingly to vary the stiffness of the operating end portions of the bristles. The roughing end portions of the bristles of the brush collectively may be slightly bowed outwardly as they extend radially instead of lying substantially in a conical face thus enabling the operator to use a selected portion of said roughing end of the brush in the roughing of the material being operated upon.

The overlasted margin of the shoe upper is moved lengthwise along elements of the substantially conical face of the end of the sleeve formed by said bristles, the peripheral cylindrical face of the inner support serving to restrain the exposed roughing ends of the bristles of the sleeve in the vicinity of the inner support against displacement and thus to render these bristles less flexible under pressure of work than are the exposed roughing ends of the remaining bristles which increase in flexibility as they are displaced greater distances away from the axis of rotation of the tool. By causing the stiffness of the operating ends of the bristles of the tool to increase in accordance with their displacement from the axis of rotation of the tool, the operator may choose that portion of the brush best suited to roughen the work, it being desirable in roughing in the vicinity of the feather line of the overlasted margin to employ the stiffer, more controlled bristles which are located adjacent to the cylindrical peripheral face of the inner support.

After the operating ends of the bristles of the tool have been sharpened the inner and outer supports which bear against the inner and outer peripheries respectively of the sleeve of bristles are moved to their desired ad justed positions axially of the tool to impart to the roughing ends of the bristles of the tool the proper flexibility and shape. It will be apparent that for a constant operating speed of a shaft which drives the tool the speed of the roughing ends of the bristles of the tool is substantially constant irrespective ofthe number of times that the bristles are sharpened.

The present invention consists in the foregoing and hereinafter described features, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the invention selected for purposes of illustration, said invention being fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the illustrative roughing tool in the process of roughing a lasted upper of a slip lasted shoe, the guiding of which shoe past the tool is facilitated by a guide roll;

Fig. 2 shows in side elevation a portion of the roughing tool and the guide roll with a shoe, which is shown in section, presented thereto;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the guide roll moved from its active position shown in Fig. 1 to an inactive position;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal median section of the roughing tool illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line VV of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 shows a longitudinal median section of a portion of a slightly modified roughing tool; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view, partly broken away and partly in section, of a conventional shoe the overlasted margin of the upper of which has been roughened by the use of the illustrative machine.

The illustrative roughing tool 8 is described with reference to roughing the overlasted margin 10 (Fig. 2) of a platform cover or wrapper 12 of an upper 13 of a slip lasted shoe 14 for the reception of cement, preparatory to attaching an outsole (not shown) to said margin. It will be understood that the roughing tool 8 is also adapted to toughen the overlasted margin 16 (Fig. 7) of an upper 19 of a conventional shoe 20 for the reception of cement preparatory to attaching an outsole 21 to the shoe. The platform wrapper 12 comprises and may be described as part of the upper 13 of the slip lasted shoe 14.

The illustrative roughing tool 8 comprises a sleeve 22 secured by a key 24 (Fig. 4) to a drive shaft 26 which is rotatable about a fixed axis 28 in bearings 30 (Fig. 1) of an electric motor 32 secured to the upper end of a pedestal 34. The sleeve 22, which may be referred to as a drive sleeve or member, has formed in it a plurality of holes 36 (Fig. 4) for receiving pins 38 fitting in bores of a holder 40 forming part of a wire bristle roughing brush 42. The holder 40 of the roughing brush 42 is held in an operating position against a flat radial face 44 of the drive sleeve 22 by a nut 46 and a locknut 48 threaded onto said sleeve.

The roughing brush 42 includes the holder 40 which is preferably made of steel and has an annular bristle receiving portion 40a in which are anchored by the use of wire bands 50 a plurality of bristles 52 which are bent about said bands and are constrained to a limited extent by outer and inner cup-shaped retaining portions 40b, 400 of the holder, the bristles of the brush before being confined as hereinafter disclosed diverging substantially as they extend forwardly from said retaining portions.

Threaded onto the drive sleeve 22 is a cup-shaped housing or outer bristle support 54 which bears against the periphery of the outer retaining portion 40b of the brush holder 40, a locknut 56 serving to retain said housing in its operating position on the drive sleeve. Formed integral with the nut 46 is a cylindrical flange 46a upon which is slidingly mounted for movement length- Wise of the axis 28, as will be explained later, an inner bristle support 58 having a bore 60 through which passes a bearing screw 62 threaded into the forward end of the drive sleeve 22. A face 58a of the inner brush support 58 is normally held in forced engagement with. a head 62a of the screw 62 by a stout spring 64 rear and forward ends of which engage respectively the brush holder 40 and the inner bristle support 58.

The inner brush support 58 has a cylindrical or outer peripheral surface 58b of substantial axial length or extent adapted to support an inner periphery of a sleeve 66 formed by the controlled bristles of the brush 42 and has a frusto conical face 580 which extends toward the axis 28 as it extends away from the-cylindrical brush supporting surface 58b, an opening or gap 68 being formed between the inner brush support 58 and the inner cup retaining portion 400 of the holder 40. The cup-shaped housing or outer brush support 54 has formed at its inner periphery a pair of circular salient portions 54a, 54b which are forced against the outer periphery of the sleeve 66 formed by the controlled or deformed bristles and which are bridged by an annular opening 70 which is arranged radially opposite the opening 68.

11: is desirable that the overlasted margin 16, 16 of the upper 13, 19 of the shoe 14, 20 shall be roughened to an outline commonly referred to as a feather line 72 (Fig. 2), 72a (Fig. 7) along which the margin of the outsole subsequently attached to the shoe projects to a slight extent beyond the shoe upper 19. Asabove noted, care must be exercised so as not to roughen the over lasted margin 10, 16 of the upper beyond the feather lines 72, 72a of the upper 13, 19 of slip lasted and conventional shoes 14, 20, it being apparent that if the roughened portion extends too far outward beyond the feather lines 72, 72a the roughened portion of the overlasted upper extending beyond the feather line will be visible in the finished shoe, and if the overlasted margin of the shoe upper is roughened short of the feather line, said overlasted margin is not properly prepared for receiving the sole attaching cement.

Work is presented manually to the roughing tool 8, such presentation if desirable being facilitated by the use of a guide roll 74 which is engaged by the side of the shoe 14, 20, for example adjacent to its bottom, the overlasted margin 10, 16 of the shoe 14, 20 being moved across the on-coming bristles of the brush 42 with the roughing cuts progressing toward the end or edge face of the overlasted margin. After the operator has had some experience with the roughing tool 8, use of the roll 74 is usually discontinued since the tool thus supplemented tends somewhat to reduce the output of said tool.

The roll 74 is rotatably mounted on a lug 76 secured to a shaft 78 which is slidable in bores 80 of a fixed frame 82 bolted to the pedestal 34 and has secured to it a pair of lugs 84 mounted for movement along upper and lower flat faces of a guide portion 82a of the frame. Secured to the shaft 78 is a stud 86 having attached to it one end of a coil spring 88 (Fig. 1) the forward end of which is attached to a screw '90 threaded into the fixed frame, the construction and arrangement being such that the spring constantly urges the shaft forwardly, the operating position of the roll 74 being established by the engagement of the lugs 84 with a shoulder 92 of the frame. Secured to the frame 82 is a leaf spring 94 to the bottom of which a wedge-shaped detent 96 (Fig. 3) is secured. When it is desired to move the roll 74 from its active position shown in Fig. 1 to its inactive position shown in ,Fig. 3 the shaft 78 is moved against the ,action of the coil spring 88 to a retracted position al n th r 80, the detent 6 dr pp ng i ro t of the upper of the two lugs 84 to hold the roll retracted.

As above explained it is desirable to vary the stiffness of the bristles of the roughing brush 42 in order effectively to roughen different kinds of plastic material and leather of different types and temper. It has been found, as above noted, that when wire bristles of roughing brushes become overworked they have a tendency to become wrapped around one another and thus to become stiff and accordingly too harsh for effectively roughing the material which the bristles were originally set to roughen. With the above considerations in view applicants commonly position the circular salient portion 54a of the cup-shaped housing or outer bristle support 54 approximately radially opposite the rear end of the cylindrical peripheral surface 58b vof the inner bristle sup- ,port 58 which engages a substantial portion of the sleeve 66 formed by the bristles. Moreover, the portion of the bristle sleeve 66 at the forward part of its inner periphery is supported by the cylindrical peripheral surface 581) of the inner support 58 and as work is moved past it in a direction 98 (Fig. 4) firmly supports the bristles against substantial inward radial displacement, the flexibility of the work-engaging ends of the bristles of the sleeve in creasing in accordance with the distance said bristles are located from the peripheral face 58b of the inner support 58. The exposed Work-engagingends of the bristles of the sleeve 66 are included substantially in a conical surface which is centered about the axis 28, the collective general surface formed by the work-engaging ends of the bristles of the sleeve being preferably bowed outward very slightly generally lengthwise of the elements of said conical surface.

For a given setting of the outer cup-shaped housing or outer bristle support 54 and the inner bristle support 58 the operator may utilize the portion of the work-engaging end of the bristle sleeve 66 best suited to roughen the particular work on hand. It has been found that the bristles 52 of the sleeve 66 in the vicinity of the cylindrical surface 58b are held against substantial displacement and that the work-engaging faces of the bristles of this portion of the sleeve can be effectively utilized by the operator in roughing the overlasted portion of the margin of the shoe upper in the vicinity of the feather lines 72, 72a. By providing the annular cavity 76, which is formed by the circular salient portions 54a, 54b of the outer support 54, and the opening or cavity 68, which is arranged radially opposite said cavity, it has been found that the longitudinal bristle portions of the sleeve, which are located rearwardly of a squeezed area of the sleeve between the circular salient portion 54b and the rear end of the cylindrical surface 58b, have the proper amount of flexibility necessary to roughen the work effectively.

The flexibility of the work-engaging ends of the bristles 52 of the sleeve 66 may be quickly and effectively varied by adjusting the cup-shaped housing or outer bristle sup port'54 and the inner bristle support 58 lengthwise of the axis 28 upon the drive sleeve 22 and accordingly with relation to the bristle brush 42, whereby to cause the circular salient portion 544: of the outer support to be spaced different distances axially of the rear end of the cylindrical surface 58b. The flexibility of the workengaging faces of the bristles of the sleeve will also vary somewhat in accordance with the extent the bristles project forwardly of the peripheral surfaces 58b of the inner support 58.

The cup-shaped housing or outer bristle support 5 3 may be described as having an inner peripheral face provided with spaced circular salient portions 54a, 54b which are arranged concentrically about the axis 23 and form between them an annular cavity 70 bridged by a portion of the outer periphery of the bristle sleeve 66 and which are offset rearwardly with reference to the cylindrical face 58b of the inner support 58. The cylindrical face 58b of the inner support 58 may be described as being offset axially toward the exposed roughing end of the sleeve 66 from the cavity 70 and from the circular salient portion 54a of the outer support 54. The portion of the bristle brush 66 arranged just rearwardly of the peripheral surface 58b of the inner support 58 may be said to be unsupported against radial deflection. The circular salient portion 54a of the outer bristle support 54 may be described as being arranged substantially radially opposite a rear end of the cylindrical peripheral face 58b of the inner support 58.

There is a tendency for the unsupported portion of the bristles of the sleeve 66 to bow excessively inward toward the axis 28 and thus to lose their initial axial orientation and flexibility. In order to correct this condition the cup-shaped housing 54 may be radially set rearwardly temporarily with relation to the bristle sleeve 66 and the inner bristle support 58 may be thereafter reciprocated axially a few times against the action of the spring 64 with the result that the inward deformed bristles tend to straighten out and thus. regain their original operating positions.

It is desirable frequently to sharpen the roughing ends of the bristles of the sleeve 66, this operation being effected while the brush is rotated in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 (that is in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the brush during its roughing operation), by the use of a Carborundurn stone, for example, which is forced against the roughing ends of the bristles of the sleeve 66. During the sharpening of the Wire bristle brush 42 the spring 64 holds the face 58a of the inner support 58 firmly against the head of the screw 52 and thus insures against the adjustment of the screw in the drive sleeve 22 and accordingly adjustment of the inner support 58 being disturbed. The outer and inner bristle supports 54-, 58 are adjusted axially with reference to the drive sleeve 22 to their proper positions after the bristles of the brush42 have been sharpened. In a roughing tool 8 such as above described it will be clear that the speed of the work-engaging ends of the bristles of the sleeve 66 remain constant irrespective of the number of sharpenings of said bristles.

In order to accommodate a plurality of roughing brushes 42 having bristle sleeves 66a of different sizes and shapes, it is proposed to provide outer and inner bristle supports 1%, 102 having recesses 104, 106 respectively adapted to receive outer and inner inserts 108, 110, the shapes of said inserts used being dependent upon the size and shape of the bristle sleeve and the type of bristles forming said sleeve.

If desirable the'collective work-engaging ends of the bristles of the sleeve 66a may be substantially bowed as shown in Fig. 6 in order to enable the operator, by slightly tilting the work, to select the circular bands of bristles best suited for roughing the particular work on hand.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A roughing tool rotatable about an axis and comprising wire bristles collectively having the general form of a sleeve which is centered approximately about said axis and has outer and inner peripheries and has an exposed roughing end which lies substantially in a conical surface, an outer circular support rotatable with said sleeve about said axis and adapted to be forced against the outer periphery of the sleeve in close proximity to its roughing end, an inner support having a cylindrical coaxially disposed surface which is spaced radially of and toward said axis from the outer support and is offset axially toward said roughing end of the sleeve from said outer circular support and which is adapted to be engaged by the inner periphery of the sleeve and extends into close proximity to the roughing end of the sleeve, and means for initially setting the inner and outer supports in different adjusted positions lengthwise of said axis with respect to the sleeve to vary the stiffness of the bristles at the roughing end of said sleeve.

2. A roughing tool rotatable about an axis and comprising wire bristles collectively having the general form of a sleeve which is centered approximately about said axis in general coaxial relation therewith and has outer and inner peripheries and has an exposed roughing end, a housing rotatable with the sleeve and having an inner peripheral face provided with coaxial circular portions which are spaced from each other lengthwise and radially of said'axis and are adapted to be forced against the outer periphery of the sleeve and which form between them a circular cavity bridged by a portion of the outer periphery of the sleeve, one of said circular portions being positioned adjacent to the roughing end of the sleeve, :1 support having a coaxial cylindrical surface which is offset toward said axis from the circular portions of the sleeve and is offset lengthwise of said axis toward said roughing end of the sleeve from said cavity and is positioned adjacent to said roughing end and is adapted to be engaged by the'inner periphery of the sleeve, and means for initially setting the housing and the support in different adjusted positions lengthwise of said axis with respect to the sleeve to vary the shape and the stiflness of the bristles at the roughing end of said sleeve.

3. A roughing tool comprising a drive member rotatable about an axis, a brush secured to said drive member for rotation therewith and having wire bristles collectively having the form of a sleeve which has inner and outer peripheries and has an exposed roughing end lying approximately in a conical surface centered about said axis, an inner support having a cylindrical face which is arranged adjacent to the roughing end of said sleeve and which extends a substantial distance lengthwise of said axis and is adapted to be engaged by the inner peripheral face of the sleeve adjacent to said roughing end, a housing mounted upon said drive member and adjustable to different operating positions lengthwise of the drive member and having circular presser portions which are offset axially and radially from each other and are arranged rearward axially from the cylindrical surface of the inner support and are adapted to be forced against the outer periphery of the sleeve, said inner support and said housing being shaped-and arranged to render the bristles of said sleeve unsupported axially for a substantial distance rearward of the cylindrical surface of the inner support, said housing and said inner support being initially movable on said drive member to different operating positions lengthwise of said axis to vary the density of the exposed roughing ends of the bristles of said sleeve and to compensate for variations in the lengths of said bristles due to sharpening the ends of said bristles.

4. A roughing tool comprising a drive member mounted for rotation about an axis, a holder secured to the drive member, a brush comprising a plurality of wire bristles collectively having the general form of a sleeve which has inner and outer peripheries and one end of which engaged in and secured to the holder and an exposed roughing end of which lies approximately in a conical surface centered about said axis, a cup-shaped housing which is secured to the drive member and is adapted to be engaged by the outer periphery of the sleeve in close proximity of the roughing end of the sleeve, a screw which has a head and is initially adjustable on the drive member, a support slidably mounted on the screw and having a cylindrical periphery which is arranged concentrically with relation to said axis and is adapted to be engaged by the inner periphery of said sleeve adjacent to the roughing end of the sleeve, means for initially adjusting said housing lengthwise of said axis with respect to the sleeve, and a spring for holding said support against the head of the screw for positioning the support in a predetermined position on the screw and for insuring against movement of the screw out of its adjusted position on said screw, adjustment of the housing and the support with reference to the drive member and accordingly with reference to the sleeve serving to vary the stiffness of the bristles of the exposed roughing ends of thesleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 537,954 Ziehler Apr. 23, 1895 1,538,220 Shu1tz May 19, 1925 2,686,495 Hutton Aug. 17, 1954 FQREIGN PATENTS 458,378 Germany Apr. 5, 1928 

